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Thimbles

I have to admit that before Purl Patchwork opened I didn’t have a clue about thimbles. They seemed quaint and old fashioned but I didn’t really understand their use (… and I thought that you wore them on your thumb!) Now that I hand sew and embroider regularly my thimbles have become indispensable. I have different kinds for different uses and I thought I’d share with you what they’re all for in case anyone out there is similarly clueless.

Traditional Thimbles

The goat leather thimble is my favorite traditional thimble and thus it’s a good place to start. I used to think that thimbles were primarily used as protection from the sharp end of the needle. But in the case of traditional thimbles that’s not true. You wear a traditional thimble (usually on your index or middle finger) to protect your finger from the eye-end of the needle. If you use your index or middle finger to push the eye-end of a needle enough times your finger will get hurt; that’s where a thimble like this comes in handy.

I use my goat leather thimble primarily for hand quilting. The rocking motion of the hand quilting stitch would be very painful without it because you are constantly pushing the end of the needle with the tip of your finger.

You can also wear a thimble for hand piecing to help push the needle through as you do the running stitch.

I prefer the goat leather thimble to a more traditional metal thimble because it’s flexible and feels like an extension of my own finger, but a metal thimble works the same way.

Some people prefer the metal thimbles because they don’t cover the first finger knuckle. Also their indentations are useful in catching the eye-end of the needle. Our quiltmaking teacher, Cassandra, finds the leather thimbles bulky, while I find the metal ones too rigid. It’s all a mater of personal preference and what feels right to you. Make sure when you buy a traditional thimble, be it goat leather or metal, that it fits properly. It should be snug enough to not fall off your finger but not too tight that it hurts.

Under Thimble

The Under Thimble is also primarily used for hand quilting. When I was taught to hand quilt I was told to push the needle through the quilt until it just poked my bottom finger.

I do still think this is a good way to initially learn because it helps to regulate your stitch size. However, now that I’ve learned the basic principle, the Under Thimble makes hand quilting much quicker, because I’m not so afraid of impaling my poor underfinger.

To use it you simply stick it on your index finger with one of the reusable stickers that come with the package. All of a sudden your under finger is invincible!

Thimble Pad

The thimble pad is something that I use for embroidery. It gives me a better grip when I’m pulling the thread through my fabric and prevents any irritation that might come from always gripping the needle in the same place. It sticks on and can be used many times. I have also heard it can be very useful in applique.

The thimble pad is a really versatile tool, there’s no rules to it, it’s just there to help. I was embroidering some napkins recently and I kept pricking myself over and over in the same place. I popped a thimble pad on and the problem was solved!

Sashiko Thimble

The Japanese Sashiko technique also has it’s own Sashiko thimble, and it’s worn in a very unique place on the base of the middle finger, protecting the top of the palm.

After gathering many stitches on the needle you push the needle through using the top part of your palm (protected, of course by your thimble!) For a more in depth explanation of Sashiko click here.

So… in conclusion

If you’re hand sewing and your fingers are being in any way irritated, poked, pricked, or prodded, there is a thimble to help you.

My Mom was a tailor, and so until high school the only thimbles I’d used were tailor’s thimbles (similar to the metal thimble, but open at the top). In high school home ec classes I remember struggling with a traditional metal thimble and finally bringing in one of my Mom’s thimbles, which everyone (including the teacher) thought was odd. I still am most comfortable with my tailor’s thimble over any other type.

Yeah, I had no idea there were so many kinds and uses for thimbles either! Like you, I thought a thimble (and I was only aware of the metal kind) protected your thumb from the pointy end of the needle. This is a great little lesson.

after trying lots of different thimbles. probably the wrong ones for the purpose!i now stick plasters on my finger for protection, and grip!thanks for this post, i can now go and choose the correct thimble!

I have an old metal thimble that used to be my husband’s Irish grandmother’s. I’ve tried to use it, but I find it so restricting that I usually take it off after a few stitches. Now I’ll know to look for these other types next time I’m at the fabric store! I’ll put my family heirloom away for safekeeping! Thanks!

I love using the leather thimbles for hand quilting. The only drawback is that eventually they will get holes in them. When that happens (instead of shelling out the $3 or whatever reasonable price they are), I use a Thimble Pad to patch the hole, or stick it to my finger under the hole. It works great.

Last year I discovered thimble pads when looking for something to help my poor abused index finger–injured in the line of sock knitting. I love to knit socks on dpns but found that when working on lacy socks my sad little digit was aching from being stabbed with the tip of the US1 so many times! I tried a few different types of thimbles, but found the thimble pad to work best because it didn’t impede my knitting at all. Thanks for the great post!

Interesting to read how other folks use thimbles. I am a hand-quilter and I find that my needles poke through the goat leather thimbles too much (either getting stuck there or poking through to my finger–ow!). I also can’t use metal thimbles because my needle tends to slide right off them. I use leather and plastic thimbles like these: http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog.jsp?CATID=cat3720&PRODID=prd2829&source=searchI also like that they are open at the top because I have long fingernails. I have never had any success with an under thimble as I still like to feel the needle hit my finger on the under side.

One thing that might help to make using a thimble feel less awkward is to wear it on your middle finger. That way you still have your index finger for handling the needle. I can’t do any hand sewing without my metal thimble anymore, I like mine so much!

So am I one of the only people who hates using thimbles, cause I always seem to do projects that are too much for the needle to puncture, and when I am pushing the needle, hard, it slips, and the eye impales my finger or hand REALLY REALLY HARD? lol As a result, I am soo nervous using them, cause I always manage to do it at least once a project. :p

What a wonderful post!!! I did not know about many of those thimbles- I have used several metal thimbles and would certainly love to try a leather one- seems to be much more flexible Thanks for the great work you all do!!

I just bought a thimble to use at the base of the palm in Koriyama (I live in Japan at the moment) and thanks to your tutorial I know how to use it now!! I am doing Sashiko embroidery – loved doing it more so with this thimble!

I just found one my grandmother’s thimbles (from between 1920-1945). They are lovely! My son asked which finger they were worn on, and I had no idea! Now I think I remember seeing her use it on her index finger. Thanks for your help.

That is quite interesting. Do you, by any chance, have access to the old type of open end thimble, not those heavy ones that are currently sold. They are like the gold one shown, but with an open top? Thanks.

I really appreciate your thimble lesson! I’m currently working on an art piece and it includes a giant thimble. I didn’t know there were so many types! Thanks so much for broadening my understanding of thimbles.

Thanks for the interesting thimble lesson. I’d never seen a sashiko thimble before. I’ve been using a regular metal thimble! I’m a hand quilter and I have a hard time finding a thimble that’s *large* enough. I really want to try the goatskin thimble now.

I use an under thimble with dimples on my pushing finger and a finger shield on my other hand on the index finger so that the tip of the needle hits the shield and not my finger; it also allows me to wrap the fabric around my finger creating tension in the fabric.

I too find metal thimbles restricting and for many years wore a self-made leather thimble, but changed to the dimpled under thimble and finger shield a few years back.

Wonderfully informative post! I actually use those rubber paper sorting things as a thimble when I'm sewing softies and working embroidery. They work fairly well, but are rather thin. I might try the goat leather thimble–it looks like it might be better..

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